A week-long anchoring stint on MSNBC by Donny Deutsch ended abruptly on Wednesday, and four people briefed on the decision said the cancellation stemmed from an unflattering mention of that channel’s No. 1 anchor, Keith Olbermann, a day earlier.

Mr. Deutsch had labeled his hour on MSNBC “America the Angry,” and Mr. Olbermann was shown briefly in a series of clips of media bloviators during a segment that pondered what role the media plays in fomenting the public’s anger. The four people briefed on MSNBC’s decision said Mr. Olbermann’s anger about the segment prompted the cancellation of the weeklong “America the Angry” series.

Mr. Deutsch would not confirm that, but he said Wednesday afternoon that “for whatever reason they decided they didn’t want to go with it the rest of the week.”

“I was disappointed because I think I’m on to something really special here that needs to be done,” he added, something that is neither red nor blue in terms of its politics. “It’s time the purple voice is out there,” Mr. Deutsch said. “Enough already.”

Here’s the segment that apparently got Deutsch in trouble:

Deutsch is, of course, correct. The only difference between Olbermann and guys like Limbaugh, Beck , and Hannity is ideology. Their tactics are entirely identical.